The invention refers in particular to beds/stretchers used in the health and hospital sector.
More specifically, beds provided with pivoting wheels are known in that sector. At least one wheel comprises a pedal for braking or releasing the free rotation of the wheel. The same pedal allows the orientation of the wheel to be locked, setting a predetermined direction. This function is used to follow a predetermined trajectory, when an operator must move a bed from one zone to another.
As is known, traditional beds may reach a considerable weight of up to 200-250 kg, considering the mattress and the patient lying on it. Considering that there often only one operator available for moving a bed, it is evident that there can be difficulty both in pushing the bed and maneuvering it along a non-rectilinear route.
Operators often suffer injuries to their backs when moving beds. More specifically, the movements for entering/exiting rooms, alignments when entering lifts and orientation along curved routes, especially in restricted spaces, are problematic.
Systems external to the bed are also known which fix to the bed and/or lift it. These systems are motor-driven, for example by remote control, for allowing easy movement of the bed. These systems are obviously complex, expensive and very bulky so they are not able to completely solve the problems associated with the beds moved manually.